The present invention relates to multi-purpose hand tools. More precisely the present invention relates to a nut-driving element of a multi-purpose tool.
It has long been known to combine multiple hand tools together into one device to provide economy or compactness. An early such example is a double-ended wrench body with a different size opening at each end. Another such device is a universal socket such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,622,090 and 5,791,209 to Marks. These wrenches use bundled, separately movable pins within a socket body. The pins move axially to surround a bolt head or other object to apply torque to the object.
Another category of multi-purpose tools uses a pocketknife type structure including various folding implements. Of present interest are such tools that include a fastener driver or wrench implements. U.S. Pat. No. 4,744,272 to Leatherman is a well-known example in this category. A foldable handle set fits over a plier jaw, and deploys out and rearward to form plier handle extensions. Each handle contains other usable implements that can further fold out. U.S. Design Pat. No. D455,939 to Allen shows a multi-purpose tool with an adjustable wrench at one end. Another example of a wrench type tool is U.S. Pat. No. 6,314,600 to Cachot. A main body has a fixed plier jaw extending from one end. The body serves as one of the two plier handle extensions. A second jaw element opposes the fixed jaw, with a respective handle extension protruding rearward from an opposed side of the main body, the plier element of the second jaw and handle pivoting within the main body. A hexagonal aperture in the side of the body receives screw driving attachments.
An adaptor may be used to link one type of driving tool to another. U.S. Pat. No. 6,019,019 to Hobbs and U.S. Pat. No. 5,438,894 to Pearce show adaptor type devices. The Hobbs ""019 reference includes a driving end of square section to engage standard socket wrenches. The driven end is entirely smaller than the driving (square) end. The driven end describes at its twelve vertices a generally circular shape to fit xe2x80x9cstandard wrenchesxe2x80x9d as described. In Pearce ""894, the driven end comprises parallel flats of a hexagon to fit an open end wrench where the xe2x80x9cjaws are horizontal.xe2x80x9d The driven end is similarly generally circular by its six vertices.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,817,475 to Kelly shows a socket with a driven end engageable by a hexagonal outer circumference. It is identical to a common spark plug wrench wherein an exterior of the socket is faceted so that a wrench may surround and engage the socket. The socket of Kelly ""475 includes a separate retaining ring that is installed after the wrench is positioned around the socket to keep the wrench semi-permanently axially held to the socket.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,794,496 and 5,819,606 to Arnold disclose socket wrench devices. In Arnold ""496, a pawl system is associated with a socket design. The disclosure teaches that portion 76 of xe2x80x9csocketxe2x80x9d 72 of FIG. 12 is described as having an opening 80 with surfaces 82 formed therein, (col. 4, line 52), while a protruding stem 67 is shown instead in FIG. 12. The intended reference is apparently to the integrated pawl and socket as shown in FIGS. 13 to 23 where integrated pawl/socket 76 is clearly shown. xe2x80x9cOpening 80xe2x80x9d would be the recess immediately to the left of numeral 72 in FIG. 15, where faceted xe2x80x9csurfaces 82xe2x80x9d are visible within. FIG. 15 shows a typical retaining method to hold the socket in the housing. A flange is formed above channel 86. Necessarily this flange is of equal or lesser diameter than the portion of the socket below to enable the socket to be installed and retained in the housing. See also FIG. 22.
In Arnold ""606, FIGS. 1 to 14 show sockets with a channel and an upper flange. These sockets are of the type disclosed in Arnold ""496 as stated in col. 4 line 17 of Arnold ""606. Therefore, the flange does not directly serve a retaining function, except by way of the retaining ring of Arnold ""496 that is fitted into the channel.
It is common that a plier includes curved recesses in the jaw faces. These recesses are usually serrated to provide gripping power upon driven objects. Such recesses are visible for example in jaws 10 of Leatherman ""272. When the jaws are fully closed the recesses form a narrow elongated opening through the closed jaws. The opening is often but not always of ovoid shape. In a plier of practical size this opening is too small to firmly grip generally round objects even with the serrations. Only when gripped upon larger objects in an opened jaw condition can the plier recesses apply strong torque to a generally round object.
It is desirable to provide a driving system where a fully closed plier can apply strong torque to a driving implement. In such a design the pliers can be used in its most compact state. When the pliers is integrated as part of a multi-purpose tool it is also desirable that the overall size of the tool be minimized when the tool is connected to a driving implement. It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a system that strongly links a plier to a driven device such as a socket wrench. It is a further object of the invention to have the plier strongly grip a driven device with the plier in a closed position. It is a related object to include an adaptor with a driven section that is of an elongated non-round sectional shape that fills an elongated narrow opening formed jaws by recesses in the jaw faces of a closed plier. It is another object of the invention to provide a system wherein a multi-purpose tool is used to drive a universal socket wrench.
According to one embodiment of the present invention system, a multi-purpose tool includes a body portion with various implements within the body portion. A fixed plier jaw extends forward from the body. The body portion forms a rearward-extending handle of the fixed jaw. A movable plier element pivots about the body, with a forward extending movable jaw opposed to the fixed jaw and a pivoting handle extending rearward on an opposite side of the body from the movable jaw. The plier jaws include recesses in each jaw face so that when the jaws are closed together, such that the jaw faces are proximate to each other, the opposed recesses form an elongated opening through a thickness of the jaws. The elongated opening is constricted at each end of the opening to form an enclosure so that an object within the opening is substantially fully surrounded.
In one embodiment of the present invention, both rearward-extending portions of the tool house implements. In this case there may be no preferably xe2x80x9cfixedxe2x80x9d jaw, but rather two relatively moving xe2x80x9cbodiesxe2x80x9d with associated jaws.
The present invention optionally includes an adaptor. The adaptor comprises a square sectioned driving end to fit standard socket wrenches. The driven section of the adaptor includes an elongated, preferably non-circular sectional shape. This shape substantially fills the elongated opening in the closed plier jaws. The length of the elongated shape defines the torsion arm available that links the plier to the adaptor and thus the socket wrench. The present invention shape contrasts with generally round shapes of the prior art adaptors. These conventional round shapes present a very small torsion arm within the elongated opening of a closed plier jaw. The prior art adaptors thus suffer from the possibility of slippage and a loss of torque transmission.
The present invention plier handles may include a locking device such as a movable loop or hook near a distal end of the plier handles so that the plier jaws can be held closed and secured about the adaptor without an applied squeezing force. Therefore, the locking device along with the unique shape of the adaptor ensure highly efficient torque transmission with minimal hand-squeezing effort by the user.
The adaptor includes optional flanges both above and below the driven section so that the pliers are axially retained upon the adaptor. A two-ended flange is possible in the present invention because the wrench driving means is a non-rigid structure; it is a closable plier jaw that can be configured in the ordinary course of use to both fit about and release the driven section of the adaptor. The adaptor is thus retained axially by the flanges and radially by the enclosure formed by the opening in the jaws.
The present invention system further employs an optional universal socket. In one embodiment, the universal socket includes a bundle of longitudinally movable pins with the socket. Respective pins will retract when pressed over a bolt head or other fastener. The remaining pins will surround the bolt head so that torque may be transmitted by the pins from the bolt head to the interior wall of the socket. Accordingly, the concerted action of the bundled pins and wall design improve torque transmission as well as the broadening the suitability of the socket tool for use on unconventional shapes (i.e., stripped nuts, broken plumbing handles, etc.).
The present invention is thus a unification of multiple tools into one compact and efficient system or assembly. To be sure, the present invention system or assembly seamlessly incorporates tools that are distinct in nature and typically not found together in one tool. For instance, the present invention enhances the utility of a multi-purpose tool by expanding its application to an entire class of socket tools.